Can-punch.



W. R. HEBER @z G. E. (grUNZELi GAN PUNGH.

APPLIoATloN FILED APR. s, 190s.

,427, Mtemted- Dec. E, 1908.

Wi TNESSES: INVENTOR;`

; A TTORNEY UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.`

WILLIAM R. HEBER AND CARL H. GUNZEL, OF- WEST BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

Y CAN-PUNCH.

Bpecication o! Letter. Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

Toall whom 'it rIna/y concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM R. HEBER and CARL H. GUNzEL, citizens of the United States, residing at West Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain newv and usefulImprovements in Can-Punches, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the general class of can-opening devices, and, particularly, to an instrument especially adapted for punching a hole in a can-top.

Cans which are filled with liquids or fluent solids, and which require no further opening than a hole through which their contents may flow or be poured, are quite common; such, for example, as condensed milk cans.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and effective instrument or tool, which may, with great facility, be fitted to and held upon the can-top, with one hand,

kand While so held, is adapted to receive the convenient, firm and steady pressure of the other hand, whereby a hole Vmay be made through the can-top, Without great effort, and Without strain on the can, or danger of spilling its contents.

With this object in view, our invention consists in the novel lcan-punch, which We shall now fully describe, by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fi ure l is a perspective view of our canpunc. Fig. 2 1s a side View of the same, showing its application to a can.

l is the stock of the device, consisting of a flat plate, at one end of which is a downturned flange 2, best formed integral with said plate. This flange is curved slightlyl to better conform to the curvature of the can rim against which it fits.

3 is a spring-arm, which is secured to the stock and rises therefrom at an angle, as shown. The elevated free extremity of the spring-arm carries a punch 4, which is in position to descend through an opening 5 in the stock 1, near its flanged end. A pressure button 6 is providedon the end of the spring-arm, just above the punch.

That portion of the stock l, which we have designated by 7, and which is, in fact, the end of the stock opposite its flanged end, is left flat and forms what may be termed a pressure surface, as we shall presently explain; and, in order not to interfere with this pressure surface, the spring-arm 3 has its rear portion 8' bent at an angle to its main body and lies flat on the pressure surface 7 of the stock, being secured thereto by a rivet 9. In Fi.'2, the can-punch, which we have describe is shown applied to a can 10. It will be seen that the stock 1 lies fiat on the top of the can, the flange 2 bearing against its rim. The stock 1 is short enough -to lie Wholly within the area of the can-top, so that, if made for use on smaller cans, it is equally applicable to larger ones.

To use the device, the operator, with one hand, bears down firmly upon the pressure surface 7 of the instrument, thereby forcing it against the can-top, and this pressure, in conjunction with the flange 2, holds the instrument very`tightly to the can. With his other hand, the operator presses down upon the button 6, and thereby forces the punch 4f down through the opening 5 in the stock, and into and through the can-top, making a hole in Upon relieving the pressure on the button 6 the spring-arm 3 lifts the punch from the hole. If a second hole be required, for ventilation or other purpose, the device may instantl be readjusted to a new position, simply gy relieving it of hand-pressure and moving it to the new place. Similarly, the device may be easily applied to another can. There are no adjustable parts required to fit it to Iplace on a given can, or to apply it to different sized cans. There is no great effort required to punch the hole, and no strain is imposed on the can which might cause it to slip or to spill its contents.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A can-punch comprising a fiat stock adapted to lie Wholly upon the can-top, said stock having at one end a downturned flange to bear against the can-rim, and having its other end formed with a pressure surface whereby it may be held down, by the operator, upon the can-top; a spring-arm secured to said stock; and a punchv carried by the spring-arm adapted to descend through an opening in the stock into and through the can-top.

2. A can-punch comprising a fiat stock fashioned to lie throughout its length upon the can-top, said stock having at one end a downturned -flange to bear against the canrim, and having its other end formed with a pressure surface whereby it may be held down, by the operator, upon the can-top; a

spring-arm secured by one end to said stock a punch carried by the free end of the spring-arm, adapted to descend through an opening in the stock near its flanged end,`

into and through the can-top; and a pressure button on the free end of the spring arm above the punch.

4. A can-punch comprising a ila-t stock fashioned to lie throughout its length upon the can-top, said stock having at one end a downturned flange to bear against the canrim, and having its other end formed with a pressure surface whereby it may be held down, by the operator, upon the can-top; a spring-arm having one end lying Hat upon and secured to the pressure receiving end of the stock, said arm thence inclining upwardly over and away from the stock; a. punch carried by the free end of the springarm adapted to descend through an opening in the stock near its flanged end, into and through the cantop; and a ressure button on the free end of the spring-arm above the punch.

5. A can-punch comprising a flat stock adapted to be detachably engaged with and lie upon a can top, said stock having at one end a down turned flange to bear against the can rim, the other end of the stock con stituting a. tlat pressure surface ,whereby .it may be held down upon the can top by the operator, and said stock having a guide aperture, a spring arm having one end lying flat upon and secured to the pressure receiving end of the stock, and its free end no1'- nially elevated above and extending over the stock, a punch carried by the free end of the springl arm to descend through the guide aperture ot the stock to the under side thereof into and through the can top, and a pressure button on the free end of the spring arm directly above the punch.

In testimony whereof we have signed our 55 names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. l VILLIAM R. HEBER..

CARL H. GUNZEL. Witnesses:

AUGUST BOFINGER,

K. D. GRAY. 

